RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Israel has dropped hundreds of anti-Hamas lollipops in two of the West Bank's largest cities, in a renewed attempt to incite Palestinian popular opinion against the Islamist political group.

Palestinian residents of Nablus and Ramallah noticed on Sunday morning that hundreds of lollipops had been dropped in the streets and alleyways of the city, decorated with the phrase "Ramadan Kareem … Some sweets, after Hamas has made life in the West Bank bitter."

Witnesses in Nablus told Ma'an that they saw Israeli soldiers throwing the lollipops in the streets.

The Israel military has deployed heavily across the West Bank in the last two weeks, as part of an operation to find three missing Israeli teens that has led to the deaths of seven Palestinian civilians, injured more than 130, and resulted in the detention of nearly 600 after more than 1,350 military raids.

Onlookers Ma'an spoke to believed that the passing out of the lollipops is part of a "psychological warfare" by Israeli occupation forces to incite the Palestinian people against Hamas, which it accuses of having "kidnapped" the three Israeli teens.

Others, however, said that they thought the "strange behavior" indicates that the Israeli military operation in the West Bank has failed to find a clue about the missing Israeli teenagers, and are hoping to reach out for potential information.

The lollipops are not the first anti-Hamas "gifts" Israeli forces have passed out in the West Bank in recent days.

During a military raid in Nablus on Thursday, Israeli forces dropped match boxes in the streets with a phrase in colloquial Arabic reading "Beware! Hamas is inflaming the West Bank."

1 ) FPM / USA

29/06/2014 15:14

Don't eat the lollipops. They were probably laced with God only knows what. This is an example of insanity and how our US dollars are being wasted by the Zionist. This stupidity comes from our tax dollars that we are being robbed of to give to an insane bunch of Zionist and it's gone past embarrassment and shame.

WHO has made life in Palestine and not just the West Bank bitter ? Lollipops ?Not just ingenuous - obscene.

5 ) JoeFattal / USA

29/06/2014 18:22

Strangely enough Jews are giving something for free. Ramadan festivities might have left an impression on them.

6 ) Colin Wright / USA

29/06/2014 18:25

This strikes me as almost comically inept. Don't the Zionists realize what monsters they are?

7 ) Sarah / The Netherlands

29/06/2014 19:13

Next time in the colors of the Palestinian flag please? And indeed, don't eat and don't use the matches. How in the world can anyone take this crazy bananarepublic serious.

8 ) Saburah / Misri

29/06/2014 19:14

How horrible, the Zionists are trying to use the blessed month of Ramadan as an excuse to propagate their hasbara. Just tell the children "irmi, sim", which means "throw, poison". Nobody needs their hasbarapops, we've already got our own middle eastern cakes & sweets to eat, thank you.

9 ) Maureen / Australia

29/06/2014 21:29

How much lower can they go - get Palestinian children accostomed to eating the propagandalollipops until such a time when they are laced with poison so as to hurry up ethnic cleansing of Palestine?

10 ) dr.wniimeddin / usa

29/06/2014 21:33

Don't all low your children to eat them. They are fasting for a cause. They will persevere. Do the stupid israeli's believe that Arab kids are as stupid as they are? Keep on hurting palestinianans. one day you shall answer to your creator when you will be tossing and turning in hell.

11 ) Jean / US

29/06/2014 22:22

A complete insult to their intelligence and pride. What kind a responsible adult passes out matches to children to play with? Planning on blaming them for the wild fires???

12 ) gabi / australia

01/07/2014 10:17

WTF? Is there no end to the cynical stupidity of the IDF? What do they think they will achieve? Are they trying to ensure that someone who picks up these lollipops will break their fast? # 11 - no, Jean, probably say they used the matches for making molotov cocktails - and show the matches lying about to prove it? And then go in an arrest of whole lot of little kids. Idiots . . .

13 ) Hasan Shukri / Gaza

02/07/2014 10:16

Eat those lollies and may you choke on them.......

14 ) Thomas / Norway

24/07/2014 18:12

On my workingplace we make cookies on fridays to celebrate ramadan.They smell so nice.

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